equal parts buttermilk and mayo. salt, msg(yeah-this WILL make it, believe it or not), onion power, garlic powder, black pepper, dried dill,....think thats about it from memory. Used to have to make it by the 5gal cambro-bastard was too cheap to buy the mix...

I had no idea that MSG added flavor. I thought it was just a preservative. MSG causes a rash on my daughter's mouth. The produce department carries refrigerated Ranch dressing with no preservatives but it is short on flavor. So I was also searching for a good recipe for Ranch, no MSG but lots of flavor. I hate to hear that the MSG is the key!

MSG contributes a 'meatiness' to food. As such it is a flavor enhancer, rather than a flavor itself. It naturally occurs in things like mushrooms. It is a major component in instant stock bases - chicken, beef, Japanese dashi.paulj

yep, me too. I would never use MSG intentionally as an ingredient, and I try very hard to avoid products which include it. Yes, I had to say goodbye to Worchestershire sauce and all of the bullion cubes I used to use. I was surprised the first time I made homemade ranch dressing and found that it tasted fabulous (and without MSG)

I found a recipe for ranch that is pretty good that I am altering to suit my taste. Equal on the sour cream, mayo, and buttermilk. I found it a little "gloppy" (is that a word?) and added a little water to lighten it up. I had to alter the amounts of the herbs as it was a bit heavy on the dried oregano...or else mine was just strong.. It also had dill, parsley, chives, garlic, and pepper. It needed a little salt, so I used sea salt. The trick is that it included Worcestershire sauce. This may help add the "meaty" flavor that MSG gives if anyone is trying to avoid this like I am.

Get the ranch dressing mix from Penzey's to keep in the house and mix it up fresh when the mood strikes. Penzey's is online, or you could stop in to their Torrance shop (Hawthorne & Torrance Blvd., right next to BevMo). I mix it with non-fat yogurt for a really tangy dressing or potato topping.